Tradewinds Resort: Quick Vacation Recap

Hello everyone! As predicted, I've been totally absent from the blog this summer. Having the kids around 24/7 totally consumes any "free time" I would usually have to blog.

For example, I started this post yesterday afternoon when Parker was napping and Payton was playing at a friend's house - a rare quiet moment. It took about eight more visits to my computer throughout the evening to complete the video montage posted below, only to find out the web site that I typically use for video posting (Vimeo) wouldn't allow me to post my video because I had used a copyrighted song. Huh?? I thought if I owned the song on itunes, I could use it for my own personal use. I guess not.

Anyhow... point being, it's now the next morning and I'm sitting in front of my laptop once again - this time with my morning coffee - trying to wrap up this post before another busy day begins. SO... this may be the last post of the summer, or maybe I'll pop in a couple more times with some random updates. For now, I wanted to share some photos from our vacation last week. Enjoy!
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Every year, my family rents a beach house somewhere in Florida and my parents, my brother's family and ours go for a full week to bask in the sand and sun.

However, my brother and his family moved to FL last year so now that we see each other so much more often, we thought we would skip a full-week beach house this year and go for a much lower-key option of staying at a beach resort for a few days.

We chose Tradewinds Resort, Island Grand, located on St. Petersburg Beach after many, many people said it was the most kid-friendly resort around. And after staying there, I would totally agree.

There are endless activities available for the kids - some free, some cost money - but there's something for them to do all day long.

Here's a little video of our time at the Tradewinds (click on the play button).

 I hope you all are enjoying a safe & happy summer. Till next time...

4th of July Goodies

Y'all know I couldn't let a holiday pass by without sharing some fun craft, food and decorating ideas!

4th of July is a favorite holiday in our house for so many reasons...

First and most importantly, we have many family members and close friends who have served in the military, protecting our freedom, and we feel it's very important to recognize that. Not everyone is fortunate enough to have their family members return from war, and we want our kids to realize the cost of freedom that some people have paid is very high. We feel it's very important for our children to understand that 4th of July is not just about cookouts and fireworks.

If you'd like to join us in explaining the importance of this holiday to your children, here are some great links:

• Grandparents.com does an excellent job of hitting up all the historic elements of this holiday.

• KidsKonnect.com helps by putting things into language that kids can clearly understand.

• Parents.com  takes a little bit of a different angle by teaching children why America is so great and why we love our country.

• EnchantedLearning  offers a free printable activity book along with lots of other simple 4th of July crafts for all ages.

Another reason I love 4th of July is the food. I love American food (I also love Italian, Mexican, Japanese and Chinese and Thai and... nevermind.) But seriously, who doesn't love a great burger or dog hot off the grill served with crispy chips, cold potato salad or coleslaw... makes my mouth water just thinking about it!

So if you're hosting a get together this 4th, or want to bring a dish to a party you're attending, here are some very easy dishes with lots of patriotic flair:

Simply Kierste knocks it out of the park with these adorable fruit trifles served with lemon cream sauce.

I love the idea of serving this flag-inspired taco-dip as an appetizer with a bucket of cold beer or a big pitcher of fruit-infused iced tea.

A very easy and refreshing side dish would be this blueberry, strawberry & watermelon fruit salad. Add feta cheese for more of a "red, white and blue" theme.

There are tons of 4th of July-themed ice cream desserts if you search Pinterest, but they all look a bit complicated if you ask me. I like this idea... just take store-bought ice cream sandwiches and let them sit on the counter for a few minutes until the ice cream is softened, then dip each side into a shallow dish of red, white & blue sprinkles. Stick em back into the freezer until dessert time, and Voila! 

Of course there are a gazillion adorable decor and craft ideas for the 4th, but these caught my eye this year...

Whenever we break out the sparklers for the kids, they burn through them at a rate of about 2 per minute. I love this idea of opening up all the boxes and setting them out so that the kids can run back and grab another one while you just have to sit in a chair with a lighter ready to assist them. 

How cute is this DIY Sparkler Station from My Sweet Savannah?

I've seen this idea floating around Pinterest and Instagram for a while now and I think I'm going to have to make it next year. It would be adorable on a 4th of July buffet table.

If you've never made tissue paper "poufs" before, please give it a try. It's SO easy, I promise! I've made them several times for different parties and even though they're a cinch to make, they add a huge statement to party decor. Here's a good photo tutorial, but there are tons of  how-to videos on YouTube as well.

Last but not least, if you are looking for a cute hostess gift (beyond a bouquet of white flowers tied with a beautiful red, white & blue wired ribbon), these confetti wine glasses are an adorable idea!

The full step-by-step instructions are available here, but really it's just a regular wine glass (I would recommend non-breakable if you can find them) covered in dots painted with acrylic paint using a Q-tip. How easy is that? 

Whatever you're doing this 4th of July, I hope you stay safe and celebrate our country's freedom surrounded by family & friends. A special thank you to all of the Veterans and current military personnel out there. We are free because of the brave. Thank you.